Mercury fungicides

An epidemic of intoxication from ingestion of fish contaminated with methyl mercury occurred in the Minamata district in Japan, and, as a result, methyl mercury intoxication is often referred to as Minamata disease." Infants born to mothers with exposure to large amounts of methyl mercury had microen-cephaly, mental retardation, and cerebral palsy with convulsions. In an incidence in Iraq, ingestion of wheat products contaminated with methyl mercury fungicide by pregnant women caused similar symptoms of neurological damage and mental retardation. The fetus is... 

Mercurial fungicides were abandoned in 1971 because of environmental pollution and hazard of conversion into poisonous methyl mercury. 

The commercial production of mercury fungicides from organolead compounds is based on patents by Kharasch 184,185). The mercury compounds are used in the disinfection of seeds and grains. Typical compounds are ethylmercuric chloride, ethylmercuric sulfate, ethyl-mercuric phosphate, phenylmercuric acetate, and compounds derived from substituted phenols and ureas. The manufacture of these compounds was reviewed by Whelen in 1957 310>. The alkylation reaction is a general reaction, and a number of additional patents has been issued on methods similar to Whelen s. A representative equation is ... 

Figure 9. Structures of some organic mercurial fungicides Herbicides...

All organic and inorganic mercurial fungicides have lost their registrations and are no longer available for any purposes. 

Ambient air concentrations of mercury have been reported to average approximately 10-20 ng/m3, with higher concentrations in industrialized areas (EPA 1980a). In 1990, metallic mercury concentrations in the gas and aerosol phases of the atmosphere in Sweden were 2-6 ng/m3 and 0.01-0.1 ng/m3, respectively (Brosset and Lord 1991). Higher levels (10-15 g/m3) have been detected near point emission sources, such as mercury mines, refineries, and agricultural fields treated with mercury fungicides. Atmospheric... 

Gotelli CA, Astolfi E, Cox C, et al. 1985. Early biochemical effects of an organic mercury fungicide on infants "Dose makes the poison." Science 277 638-640. 

Dodecenyl Succinic Anhydride. [Humphrey] Alkenyi succinic anhydrides intermediate for producing amide and imide rust inhibitors, sludge dispersant for lube oils and greases, industrial cleaners epoxy hardener, mercurial fungicide. 

Hughes, C. A., Taylor, C. G. and Thamaung, A., 1983. Retention of some non-mercurial fungicides in paint films. J.Chem.Tech.Biotechnol. Vol. 33A, 381. 

Mercury is dispersed in rural areas on an appreciable scale in organo-mercurial fungicides employed as seed dressings. These have been widely used... 

PUGH G.J.F. and WILLIAMS J.I. 1971. Effect of an organo-mercury fungicide on saprophytic fungi and on litter decomposition. Transactions of the British Mycological Society, 164-166. 

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